State Zip Codes

All About ZIP Codes

The ZIP code, (short for Zone Improvement Plan) was introduced on July 1, 1963 by the United States Postal Service to help efficiently deal with the growing number of  businesses using direct mailing. The ZIP code was an extension of the two digit postal code that was already being used in major cities. The main goal was to improve efficiency and accuracy of processing and sorting the mail, and dealing with the labor shortage World War II left. They needed an easy system where they could quickly train their new workers. 

Did you know that the current 5-digit ZIP code begins with the digit that represents the region? For example “0” represents the Northeast, and goes all the way to “9” in Alaska. The second 2 numbers represent a central mail processing facility (SCF) in that region. The last two digits indicate a more precise location for small post offices or zones in larger cities. 

ZIP code map of the United States

Click on the state below to lookup the zip code for that state and city. You can even enter a zip code to find out which town that it belongs to.  

State List